Previously on Calamitous Intervention
Ivy's grandmother Sylvia had stopped by to visit and offer some help with the stand. Hop Pop had gotten nervous and flustered and wondered how he could express his feelings for her. With Luz's help, they would organize a date together that went pretty smoothly.
Luz was excited to share her lore and knowledge of the Azura books to everyone around her, but Sprig and his friends had also happened to get into the Cynthia Coven books that had been circulating around Wartwood for some reason. After an uneventful war that spilled out of someone defending the books too much, peace was made, but there was still that question of how those books, which were definitely from the human realm, ended up here.
Chapter Twenty-Five - Cursed Eclipse
It had been a mostly ordinary morning so far for Polly. She woke up, had some mediocre breakfast cooked by Hop Pop, and did some chores (at least the ones she could, considering she was a legless tadpole). By then, it was approaching noon, and Polly figured Luz was off doing magical nerdy stuff with Maddie until she heard the basement door open.
"Ugh! Why did they only give the show nine episodes for season one?!" Luz vented, plopping on the couch next to Polly. "Oh, but even with the pacing, it's so good. I could listen to the music for hours! Could Shull secretly be an Eradicator behind the scenes? Is he going to betray the Inn?"
"Am I missing something here?" Polly asked, rolling her eyes. "I'm not exactly a great person to vent to, sister."
"Oh, right, I haven't told you about it, have I?" Luz replied, snapping out of her thoughts. "Well, I probably shouldn't, but it's a show called Purgatory Inn. I am so lucky that the season auto-downloaded onto my phone before I came here."
Polly was slightly intrigued, glancing at the human. "Go on."
"Well, it's about the prince of demon kind wanting to help lost souls," Luz explained. "Shull's a main character and is a bat demon that really... loves to drink… And it has a lot of curse words that Mama would kill me if she found out I was watching."
"Ooh, that sounds like my kind of show!" Polly said excitedly. "I wanna watch it!"
Realizing she had made a mistake in telling a literal child about a mature show, Luz decided to backtrack. "Well, uh, you're not old enough to watch it. No way am I letting you."
"Aw, come on!" the tadpole protested, jumping on Luz's head and pulling on her hair strands. "You can't just tell me about something that cool and then say I can't watch it!" Polly hopped down onto Luz's arm and tried to snatch the phone out of her pocket.
"Hey!" Luz protested, swatting the little tadpole's hand away. "Not until you're older! This show is very unfit for children!"
"Then why are you watching it?!" Polly yelled angrily, trying to grab her phone more aggressively now. "You hypocrite! Let me see it!"
"Alright, kiddos, none of that," Hop Pop scolded, walking into the living room. "The Julecoming's happening today, and we can't afford to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance!"
"The Julecoming…" Luz pondered, wondering where she had read that term before. "I think I can recall reading it in one of your books, Hop Pop, but I forgot what it's about since any information about it is scarce."
"That's because little has been recorded about it, or any detailed information was lost to time," the old frog explained. "The Julecoming is a huge event in Amphibia that happens once a century, where the Sun and Moon perfectly align. They say the sky darkens, the water stops stirring, and it marks the return of an ancient amphibian known as Julius Thopomas III, who will provide food and water for everybody. And for one day, frogs, toads, and newts will live in peace without conflict or bloodshed. Even the most violent creatures submit to it, and the entirety of Amphibia is peaceful for the rest of the day."
"Isn't that just a solar eclipse?" Luz asked, and the other frogs looked at her with confusion. Seeing this, she elaborated. "That's what they're called in my world when the sun and the moon align in the sky. Also, how do you know it's happening soon?"
"The signs have been showing over the past few days," Hop Pop said, leading Luz and Polly to his study room. "The sky has been getting darker, and the water's been unnaturally still…" He reached out to the shelf and grabbed a familiar book—the same book that contained information about the Calamity Box.
Hop Pop flipped it open and went through its pages, his eyes darting back and forth until he stopped on the one he was looking for. "Aha! Here it is." He stepped aside, allowing them to get a closer look. It showed a faded, old illustration of the events during the Julecoming. In the illustration, Luz saw what looked to be an ordinary, ragged-looking frog ascending from the eclipse, with a light yellow gem looking kind of cheaply glued on his forehead, but it could've just been the drawing.
"Oh, yeah, that guy," Polly said. "Yeah, Hop Pop told us about him once. Don't know if I buy it, but hey, if he gives me more Choco-Maggs, then he's alright in my book."
"We shall see," Hop Pop replied. "I just have a gut feeling that Julius is returning. I'm not sure how accurate the drawing is, but we'll find out soon."
Luz didn't really know how to feel about this being. She couldn't help but be skeptical, but then again, this was an entirely different world for her. Maybe if this being was real, she could ask him to help her get back home. It was worth a try.
"We gotta leave lotsa offerings and bread for him to appreciate once he comes, so whaddya say you stroll on to Mr. Flour's to pick up some bread I ordered?" the old frog suggested.
"I don't see why not," Luz agreed. "Oh, hey, uh, where did Sprig go? Haven't seen him since breakfast."
"Oh, him? He headed off to Wartwood after he ate," Hop Pop replied. "Said he wanted to hang out with a friend."
"A friend?" Luz mused, suppressing a smile. "Knowing him, it's probably Maddie. It's kind of obvious he's got a crush on her."
Polly hopped up onto her shoulder, pointing an accusing arm toward Hop Pop. "Don't tell me you've tried setting up another date for Sprig!" she yelled.
"Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that!" the old frog protested, waving his arms frantically. "He did that of his own volition! Promise!" The tadpole huffed, but decided to believe him for the time being.
"Fine," Polly replied. "But I already burned the courtship kit and buried its ashes."
Hop Pop was about to cry out in protest, but he wisely decided not to. Instead, he frowned and looked down in a mixture of disappointment and shame.
"Guess I'll go pick Sprig up," Luz said. "He's probably at Maddie's house. We'll get your bread order while we're there too.
"Sounds good," Hop Pop agreed. "We'll wait for you at the stand."
"This story's a bit too action-packed for me," Maddie told Sprig, reading the first few chapters of the Monster Slayer Academia manga that Sprig had brought. "I guess I can see why you and Luz like it, though."
"I've pretty much already read the whole thing," Sprig replied. "Kinda bored now. Neither Azura nor Cynthia are really my thing."
"You know, I could always offer to teach you magic like I did for Luz," she offered, getting up to stir the cauldron that was almost always being used. "Maybe I could even help you make your own spells."
"Mmm, maybe," Sprig muttered, contemplating her offer. "But throwing potions like Luz isn't really my style."
Maddie chuckled. "Throwing potions isn't all that magic's about, Sprig. Magic's a form of art that requires a lot of skill to master. I don't even know all it has to offer."
"But what would I use it for?" he asked. "Only weapon I really use is my slingshot." Sprig pulled out said object, studying it closely. "It's what I'm most comfortable with."
Before Maddie could brainstorm, they both heard a knock on the front door downstairs. Shortly after, they heard Mr. Flour's voice call them. "Sweetie, would you mind getting that? I'm a bit busy making dough."
"Coming!" Maddie replied. She headed downstairs, with Sprig following her, and swung open the door to reveal Luz standing in front, sporting a rather awkward grin.
"Oh, uh, hey, Luz…" Sprig muttered nervously. "Whatcha come here for?"
"Hop Pop told me you might've been here with Maddie. Any particular reason you want to spend so much time with her?" Luz began rather inquisitively, making Sprig blush. Seeing this, she suppressed a giggle, before switching gears. "Seriously speaking, though, we got some bread we wanna pick up from Mr. Flour. Is he here?"
"Ah, definitely," Maddie assured as she gestured to Luz to come inside. "He's been working his butt off these past few days; a lotta bread orders flying in!" she finished as they headed towards where Mr. Flour had lots of bags of bread neatly wrapped up and ready to go.
"Yeah, it's been quite stressful and busy, but lotsa orders are what I live for!" Mr. Flour's voice could be heard echoing from his work kitchen. "Just grab the bag that says 'Plantar' on it, and you're all set."
Luz silently gave a thumbs up as she grabbed a tightly wrapped sack of bread that had the word "Plantar" crudely written on it. It was pretty large, much bigger than what she had seen at the supermarket before, and she could tell people were really hyping themselves up for the Julecoming.
As Sprig followed her, he wanted to share what he and Maddie had just spoke about. "Luz, Maddie just told me she could begin to teach me some magic! Thing is, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet. It seems pretty dangerous, and if it's all about throwing potions, I don't see how it fits."
"Relax, Sprig," the human reassured her as they headed out the front door and into the Wartwoodian outdoors. "Heck, even I sometimes struggle with magic and grasping all the complex stuff out there. If you wanna feel better, we can struggle together. There's always something new to grasp and master every day."
"I was also talking to her about using magic myself," the young frog added, "but I don't know. I said that I'm really only comfortable using a slingshot to fight."
Luz's eyes lit up, immediately coming up with an idea. "Wait, maybe you could use your slingshot to launch spells! You could be our magic sniper!"
Sprig pondered this idea, finding it to be intriguing. "Magic sniper, huh? That's actually a pretty cool idea! I usually only launch rocks with it."
Luz and Sprig were almost at the Plantar stand, carrying their bag of bread, when they spotted Hop Pop and Polly standing behind the counter. Wasting no more time, Luz and Sprig went up to the stand and dropped the bag onto the stand's counter.
"I'm surprised you both took a while," Hop Pop remarked, not sounding angry, but a bit surprised.
"A while? It only felt like five minutes," Luz replied before immediately changing the subject and pointing out what they just brought in. "I can tell you're really excited about this event, as that was a lotta bread we picked up.".
"True, and just look all around us," the old frog added, pointing towards the other stands that also had stacks of bread and goodies to offer for the eclipse event. "These moments are extremely rare and valuable, so we gotta give all we can, and please Julius. He can give us his blessing, and we can make lotsa money. That way, everyone wins!" he shouted excitedly.
"I think we're fine on money, Hop Pop," Luz reminded him. "We've been doing just fine with tomatoes and potions. Also, how do you know this guy is real if we only have a cheap illustration?" she asked.
"My great-gam-gam always claimed she had witnessed signs of the upcoming eclipse when I was just a pollywog," Hop Pop explained. "She claimed that she even saw Julius himself walking among our kind, reminding us that he is always there to protect Amphibia and its inhabitants."
When Luz heard that explanation, she immediately suspected that this whole eclipse business was just some kind of myth, but she wasn't about to point it out just yet. She didn't want to sound disrespectful, considering she was in a world much different from her own. Anything could happen.
Meanwhile, away from the stand, Mayor Toadstool himself was secretly listening in on what the Plantars were saying, with his assistant, Toadie, right next to him.
"Toadie, what are those blokes going on about some eclipse?" he asked, mostly disinterested but still a little curious.
"I believe it is a rare event that happens every century, sir," Toadie explained, maintaining his professional demeanor as usual. "This event is called the Julecoming, where an ancient deity comes down to bless those who give him offerings."
The mayor stared at Toadie with an exasperated expression, then burst into laughter. "Oh, that's a good one, Toadie! I had no idea you had a sense of humor."
When Toadie's expression remained unchanged, Toadstool's face fell. "Wait, you're serious? Do these idiots actually believe a story like that? This is why we toads are clearly superior to frogs. We're stronger, richer, and smarter than them, and that's a fact!"
He paused and looked at Toadie, who had a downcast expression. "Okay, fine, you're smarter than any other frog I've met," he corrected, which cheered up the little frog.
"What will we do about it, sir?" Toadie asked the mayor. "Should we put a stop to this celebration?"
Mayor Toadstool tapped his chin, contemplating his suggestion, before his lips pulled up into a smirk. "No. My reputation is already in tatters, and I cannot afford to make it worse." He nodded and raised a finger, almost feeling a light bulb go off over his head. "Toadie, I have an idea! Get in contact with that curse user."
"The human or the frog, sir?" Toadie asked, confusion plastered on his expression.
"Neither. I want to speak to him," the mayor clarified, grinning sinisterly.
Maddie, still at her house, headed down the stairs, an excited expression on her face. She had almost forgotten that the event was today if it weren't for Sprig reminding her. She had been waiting to experience the Julecoming for years because of how rare it is, not long after she had started studying magic. Maddie was a bit skeptical about the event, sure, but she knew how curses work. She had even come up with theories as to who or what was the origin of Amphibia's magic and what made it possible in the first place. For all she knew, maybe it could've been Julius who blessed them with magic.
She nearly passed by the kitchen but stopped, seeing just how many orders her father, Mr. Flour, still had to do. "Dad, you're gonna be here for the rest of the day at this rate! We can't afford to miss something like this."
"Sorry, daughter, but I'm a bit behind on my bread orders," her father explained, expertly rolling a large pile of dough while occasionally throwing on clumps of flour. "My orders are at an all-time high. Plus, I still have orders from yesterday to tend to."
As he finished, Mr. Flour looked up, smiling at Maddie. "You can take your sisters to see it tonight if you'd like. I've never been much of a believer myself, but making our customers happy is my top priority. Go on," he muttered as he waved towards the front door. "Enjoy this magical lifetime moment. Your boyfriend's waiting for you."
Maddie felt her face heat up at the remark. "Dad! It's not like that!" She huffed in frustration, stomping up to her sisters' room.
Meanwhile, at a distant, seemingly abandoned shed only lit up by a faint glowing light from inside, Toadie was approaching a front door. Noticing that the door was already slightly open, he cautiously pushed it forward, revealing a large room nearly shrouded in complete darkness.
The mayor's right-hand man was already used to dealing with shady guests and clients in the past, but by the ambiance and feel of everything, he knew he couldn't mess around or toy in this case.
"Why, hello there!" A loud voice startled Toadie as an extravagantly dressed frog suddenly appeared in front of him, a spotlight conveniently popping into view just by then. He was dressed in trippy, multicolored clothes that would make Marie Antoinette shiver.
"I assume you're here to experience my magical acts in person?" the client questioned Toadie in an overdramatic, presenting tone, his voice cracking nearly every other word. "Or are you in the mood for something more… explosive?" he finished as he wildly danced around Toadie, finishing by having his back against him, twirling his hand almost energetically.
"Ehhh… well…" the little toad began, appearing slightly disturbed. "The mayor has summoned me to inquire about your... cursing… service?"
Hearing the mayor mentioned made the trippy frog's demeanor instantly change, his crazed smile flipping to a neutral face as he realized this was a pretty big deal. In seconds, he once again sported a smile, this time appearing clearly more sinister and devious.
"Ah, nothing uplifts my spirits like the chance to enlighten some poor, unfortunate souls! Tell you what, I'll do anything you want if you tell the mayor he's gotta pay double the fee."
Toadie chuckled nervously, figuring as much for a task on this scale. Regardless, even if it felt like signing a deal with the devil, he knew letting Toadstool down would be career suicide for him. "You got it!" he asserted as he pointed his fingers toward the frog, his left leg reaching slightly forward as well.
"Very, very, very well," the frog expressed, satisfied, as he motioned for Toadie to come near a scary large cauldron that was boiling with horrible-smelling green vats of acid.
As both observers glanced down, he continued. "This magical tool is the key to what makes these curses work. All you gotta do is tell me who I shall curse, and without them even knowing, they will flip!"
"Well, the mayor told me we should just curse whoever doesn't bow down to some… old guy? Even I'm not quite sure what to think." Toadie finished.
This uncertainty made the other frog flip out as he suddenly jerked his head back with a hellish groan, facepalming in exasperation. Even with all that he had seen so far, the mayor's assistant knew he had a short temper and probably shouldn't be toying around too much.
The trippy frog took a breath to recompose himself before seemingly going on, as if nothing ever happened. "Well, here's what I can do. Once you're all sure of whom to curse, slip me a list somehow, and I'll do the rest. Whaddya think?"
"That works now," Toadie finally conceded before rapidly eyeing the shed's exit, already making his escape plan and unsure if any more tricks would be pulled. Luckily, the unhinged curse user let him off without turning him into a grubhog or something of the sort.
Back in the center of Wartwood, the Plantars and Luz were walking down the street, heading back toward the house to prepare their offerings for the evening. Things were picking up as the day went on, with the town becoming more active and frantic. Luz hadn't seen a single frog who wasn't excited about being able to witness such an event in their lifetimes.
In the crowds, some residents were wearing masks, for some reason, likely going with their own beliefs about Julius. Many also had decorations related to the eclipse hung up in their stands, and other businesses. The town was clearly treating the Julecoming as a huge deal, so much so that the food marketplace was basically abandoned.
Despite the lingering doubt in the back of her mind, Luz had gone along with the whole preparation, curious about what would happen. Would a deity really come down and bless Amphibia, or would it all build up to nothing?
The familiar voice of the mayor himself snapped her thoughts out, as she instantly smelled the greed from a mile away, even before she tuned in to what nonsense he was spreading to the town.
"Everyone, everyone, I have an important announcement to make!" Toadstool called out, gathering the attention of the crowd. Many had a curious expression on their faces, while others had a look of disdain for the deceitful toad. "I have a message to pass down to all of you from the great Julius himself! Being the gracious leader of this fine town, he has chosen me to be his messenger!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Luz muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Nobody would believe this guy after all he had done so far, right?
"Simply offering him food will not be enough to satisfy Lord Julius," Mayor Toadstool continued. "He also seeks something precious from his followers, something of great value! Especially metals." He whispered that last part. Right as he said this, the crowd surrounding the mayor began to murmur to themselves, many of them unsure about his claims.
"This is Toadstool we're talking about," one frog whispered.
"But think of the consequences if he's right!" another frog said.
As if hearing the last frog, Mayor Toadstool continued his speech. "He also told me that if one does not meet these terms by the time of the eclipse, he will curse you for life. You could lose your tongue or transform into a deadly creature, for all we know."
The talking among the crowd intensified as many started hurrying away, buying into his claims and likely going to prepare more offerings out of fear. Others remained skeptical, but nobody was daring to question the great Julius Thopomas III, all except for one human girl.
"This just sounds like another one of Toadstool's schemes," Luz told the other Plantars, letting out a long, exasperated sigh.
"Now, now, Luz," Hop Pop cut in, looking saddened, "Mayor Toadstool may be very untrustworthy, but even he isn't stupid enough to spread lies in Julius's name. We must all sacrifice something we hold precious to ourselves for Julius. In exchange, we will receive his blessing. It's the smartest choice."
Luz stared at him, flabbergasted. "Hop Pop, please don't tell me you seriously believe him. Toadstool's always pulled stunts like this; he's got no moral boundaries! He'll probably steal from everyone once this all has blown over."
"Luz, I've been waiting my whole life to witness this moment," Hop Pop told her, a stern expression on his face. "If I must sacrifice an object dear to me to ensure my family's future, then I will. Julius will take our offerings, regardless."
Luz let out a sigh, knowing she had no way of convincing the old frog otherwise. "Alright, just… please be careful about what you're doing."
"I vote we sacrifice Sprig!" Polly suddenly cut in, surprising nobody.
Sprig was about to retort when he realized something and gave the tadpole a smug smile. "Does that mean you admit I'm precious to you, Polly? I knew you were always a softie."
Polly briefly sputtered in indignation before her face hardened into a scarily neutral expression. "You have five seconds to run," she simply said.
Sprig quickly developed an awkward, uncannily wide grin before rushing away like a cartoon from the forties.
For the remainder of the time before the eclipse, Luz and the Plantars decided to hang out around the town, gathering any extra supplies, as it was clear that everybody was too interested in the upcoming event to buy anything from them that day. Everything seemed as it usually was, until Sprig noticed something was different.
"Hey, isn't the sky getting darker?" Sprig asked out loud, catching the attention of the other Plantars. When they looked up at the sky, it was indeed darker, as if it were sunset. One quick glance at Hop Pop's watch quickly proved otherwise.
"Jeepers creepers, my sons, this could be it!" Hop Pop shouted in his gravelly voice. "It's three past midday, but the sky looks like it's sunset! Grab your goodies and bags, everyone! We don't have much to waste!"
"Uhh, where exactly are we gonna go?" Polly's confused voice popped in.
"The Pond de Terre!" the old frog boastfully declared. "It's a lake just big enough for around a hundred or so frogs to lie around and pay their blessings or gather around for other stuff. Quick, while it's still bright out!"
Barely a minute later, Luz and the Plantars, alongside many others, were already hurrying through town, ready to make their trek toward the lake. Luz, in particular, was still skeptical, but out of loyalty, she followed them regardless, always being watchful in case anything went south.
Hop Pop was carrying a rough, cloth-filled handbag on his back, containing three stacks of bread and a roughed-up copper urn. The others weren't carrying anything themselves, and Luz would be the last person who would want to bring anything, anyway.
In Luz's case, she found the sights to be interesting, even if the eclipse hadn't officially begun yet. Around three years ago, she had heard of a large eclipse that was the hot talk of the month, but she lived so far away that the sky barely got dark. Maybe this could be her shot at experiencing a total eclipse, full-on. Her thoughts didn't distract her from being watchful of her surroundings, noticing many others following the Plantars, all carrying personal belongings, and all with the same goal of making it to the lake.
Miraculously, they had arrived at the lake right before the sky really got dark. As they set their belongings near the edge of the water/grass meeting point and lay down next to them, they could only hold their excitement for this rare event.
Minutes later, it was finally beginning. The entirety of Wartwood was gathered around the lake, looking up in awe as the moon started to block out the sun. As it gently passed over the bright disc, all suddenly turned dark, revealing the moon's texture that few amphibians had ever gotten to see. The edges of the moon looked almost like cracks, only visible now to the naked eye thanks to the light it was passing over.
As the eclipse reached its totality, creating a beautiful ring of light in the darkened sky, the tides surrounding the entirety of Amphibia receded, and out of nowhere, a bright light appeared on the rocks in the middle of the lake, drawing the attention of everybody there.
"I-It's him!" Hop Pop said, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I knew it! Julius is real!"
True to his words, in the center of the light, sparkles surrounded an ordinary-looking frog wearing tattered clothing. Julius Thopomas III opened his eyes, taking in the sight of all the surrounding amphibians. "My loyal followers, I am truly grateful to every single one of you for upholding my legacy for thousands of years, and bestowing me such generous offerings."
Luz was watching, her mouth wide open. "This guy's actually real. Holy crap…"
Julius walked forward, smiling widely as he walked through the water, feeling his clothing getting wet. "Yes, it is I, Julius! Oh, how I have missed the feeling of cold water on my skin… Now, I shall graciously collect your generous offerings, and I will bless you in return. Your crops will thrive, and you will all live happily ever after! I can promise you that."
The deity pulled out some bags, and one by one, he started going through Wartwood's residents, collecting whatever offerings they had for him, going from food, to random objects, to valuables. Only then did Luz finally regain her senses when he had finally reached the Plantars themselves.
Hop Pop got onto one knee and bowed down, offering Julius a basket filled with bread and tomatoes. "It is truly an honor to meet you in person, Lord Julius. Please accept my family's offering and bless our futures."
Julius stood in front of the old frog and smiled. "Very well. You have my word, Hopediah Plantar." He reached out, took the offered basket, and headed over to Luz, who felt nothing but dread in her gut. She was screwed. Luz would be cursed for her entire life because she couldn't be bothered to get a single offering for this god. Maybe the curse would be that she wouldn't be able to go home, or the Good Witch Azura series would cancel on a cliffhanger.
"Ah, Luz, the human," Julius greeted, standing in front of her expectantly. "Quite interesting to see a human in this world. What do you have to offer me, young one?"
Internally, Luz was panicking. She had to offer him something. Making a last-second decision, she reached for her belt, pulled out a random potion, and bowed low, offering it to the deity. "This, my good sir, is a magic potion, made by yours truly."
Julius reached out and took the potion, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, this looks like a very fanciful potion." He uncorked the bottle. "I'm curious as to how well this works." He raised it to his lips, prepared to drink it.
Luz glanced up and realized something that horrified her. That wasn't a night vision potion. No, it was something not meant to be drunk. "Wait!" she called out, but it was too late. Julius took a drink of the potion and swallowed, blinking his eyes.
"What a strange taste," he mused, "but I'm not sure if it's working yet."
Suddenly, his face turned red, and his eyes widened as he let out a scream as fire shot from his mouth, going up into the air. The people of Wartwood gasped at the sight as Julius ran over to the lake and dunked his head into the water, his shoulders slumping in relief.
The Plantars watched this entire event unfold in horror as Julius got up, coughing, and turned toward Luz, his face red, but this time from anger. "How dare you do something so blasphemous to me, creature?! You dare try to humiliate me in front of my people?!" He stormed up to Luz, glaring her in the eyes.
Luz was paralyzed because of shock, unable to speak as Julius scowled at her. "For your insolence, I curse you for LIFE!" he yelled.
"W-Wait, no!" Luz pleaded, starting to panic. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
"I will hear none of it! Be grateful I haven't turned you into a centipede by now!" Julius cut her off, heading to the next person and taking their offering. While some frogs also hadn't had some offerings prepared, they at least didn't humiliate the deity, so maybe their curses wouldn't be as bad as hers.
By the time the sky had begun to brighten again, all offerings had been collected by Julius. He headed back to the center of the lake, hauling many filled bags. By that time, Julius's anger had mostly faded. "For all those who have graced me with your offerings, you have my blessings. Now I am afraid it is my time to head back to the stars. Farewell!"
In a display of sparkles and a purple smoke cloud, the deity was gone, just as the eclipse was ending. For most, the Julecoming had been a life-changing event. For Luz, it was a total disaster, and soon it was likely going to be a huge turning point in her life. Whatever curse awaited her, it would likely ruin everything.
"Soooo… Should we plan her early funeral?" Polly asked as the crowds dispersed, not helping Luz's anxiety in the slightest.
"Polly, too soon!" Hop Pop scolded the tadpole. "But yes, perhaps we should consider that."
Later that night, it was difficult for Luz to get to sleep. She was constantly anxious about when or how the curse would kick in. Would she be crippled? Turned into a common fly? As these questions went through her mind, she desperately stayed up as much as she could before she finally succumbed to sleep. Strangely enough, she had a dreamless night, but she wasn't complaining.
Later, as the sun rose and cast a warm, radiant light through the window, Luz slowly cracked her eyes open, feeling drowsy as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She noticed that something felt off, but she just thought it was her imagination playing tricks on her mind. She let out a yawn, hopped down, and stumbled a bit, confused. Why does the world feel bigger? she wondered.
Looking down at her legs, her face paled. Instead of expecting to see her human feet, she saw something else. Was she…
She ran up to her backpack and pulled out her handheld mirror, raising it so she could see her reflection. What Luz saw wasn't herself, but a frog girl that kind of resembled her. Julius had turned her into a frog, just like the ones in this world. Her skin was the color of lavender, her messy brown hair remained, covered in leaves, and her clothes somehow still fit her.
Horrified, Luz let out a loud shriek that reverberated through the house, catching the attention of the others.
Seconds later, the basement door burst open, and Sprig leaped down in the middle of the room, holding his trusty slingshot and ready to defend his property. On his shoulder sat Polly, who was brandishing her deadly spiked club. "Luz!" Sprig called out in fear and defense.
The two Plantars frantically looked around, but the Luz they knew and trusted was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, Sprig aimed his slingshot at the unknown frog, pulling the band back and preparing to fire at her. "What did you do to Luz?!" he demanded.
"Looks like I'm going to be needing old Dorris for this one," Polly growled, dropping her spiked club and pulling out a rolling pin. "Dibs on burying the soon-to-be body!"
"Wait, wait, it's not what it looks like!" Luz called out, raising her hands in surrender. "Guys, it's me! Luz!"
"Luz isn't a frog!" Sprig countered, ready to fire a stone at her. Just before things could escalate, Hop Pop walked into the basement, sighing, already feeling done with the day, despite it only starting.
"Kids, calm down. I was afraid Luz's curse would reveal itself sooner or later," the old frog said. "Looks like Julius has turned ya into a frog, kiddo."
"Wait, that's Luz?!" Sprig yelled, lowering his slingshot, surprised. "Whoa, cool! She's like us!"
"Not cool!" Luz replied. "Oh, no… What's Mama gonna think about this? How am I gonna go back to school?! Everyone's gonna kill me!"
Hop Pop sighed and approached Luz, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Kid, it's going to be okay. What happened yesterday was a mistake, and there's no use panicking about it now."
"I know, but…" Luz's shoulders slumped. "I just don't know how I'll adjust or turn back."
"Well, you and your mom could always just move to Amphibia," Polly casually suggested, shrugging. "Unless maybe humans are as accepting as we were to you."
Luz groaned in defeat. "No. Other humans aren't as cool as you guys. I'd probably be hunted down or experimented on."
"Let's worry about the whole future living arrangements later," Hop Pop suggested, leading Luz up the stairs, with the others following close behind. "For now, let's focus on breakfast."
Knowing Hop Pop was right, Luz took some deep breaths to prevent herself from having a panic attack and waited at the dining table as breakfast was cooking. A short while later, Hop Pop served them some bug soup, as he usually did. Used to the whole daily routine, Luz absentmindedly picked up a spoon and took a sip of bug soup, expecting the same bland flavor. The soup was fine, but it never really tasted that good.
Instead, Luz felt an explosion of flavors on her tastebuds, making her eyes widen in surprise. "Hop Pop, this is delicious! What did you do differently?"
The old frog looked up at her with a confused expression, also eating his breakfast. "I haven't done anything, Luz. Just the usual."
Before Luz could reply, Sprig cut into the conversation with a theory. "Maybe bugs taste better because you're a frog now!" he suggested.
"Wow!" Polly exclaimed in mock surprise. "Sprig actually said something kind of smart!"
Other than the occasional snarky comment between the two Plantar siblings, the rest of breakfast went pretty smoothly. After eating, Luz and Sprig were tasked with working on the farm for a couple of hours, and so they did. It wasn't easy for Luz to get used to being so short and so… different, but she started to get the hang of things while tilling the dirt.
At some point, during her tasks, Luz saw a fly, and without thinking about it, she shot out her tongue, which was a strange feeling, and caught the fly, pulling it back into her mouth. It was actually pretty tasty. It took a few seconds for Luz to realize what she had done, and she felt her face flush in a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, yet Sprig didn't pay any mind to it.
Thirty minutes in, Luz was already getting extremely bored with the task, and her new body not being used to farming wasn't helping matters. Instead of continuing, she let out a long sigh as she dropped the tiller she was holding. "Gosh, Sprig, I don't know how you can do this every day."
"Eh, you get used to it when you've been doing it for years," Sprig replied, pausing his work as well. "Hey, why are we wasting our time on something like this when I could teach you more about being a frog?" he suggested, excitement creeping into his voice.
Normally, Luz would've been against this idea, not wanting to disappoint Hop Pop, but considering how much money they had been making lately, she didn't figure that skipping the rest of one day would hurt.
A few minutes later, the two were back in the house, up in Sprig's room. A skeptical Luz sat on the floor, looking down at herself in concern, while an unconcerned Sprig confidently stood next to her.
"Alright, you've probably gotten the hang of things right now, but if you haven't, lemme help ya," he explained as Luz could only butt in with a fear she's had for a while now.
"How am I supposed to walk around like this?" Luz cried as she gestured toward her bare feet, which were already notably dirty from that farm work outside. "I can't just let my delicate feet get like this!"
"Well…" The frog paused for a moment. "You just get used to it. We hop around like it's our playground! Your body adapts and roughs it all up!"
Luz didn't respond, her blank stare only interrupted by her left eye suddenly and quietly twitching.
Seeing how uncomfortable Luz got, Sprig quickly changed the subject. "You know what? What if we go talk to Maddie? She's gotta know something about these curses, maybe even find a way to change you back!"
"How is she gonna reverse a curse cast on me by a deity?" Luz replied, slumping down on her sleeping mat. "I've already thought about that. No way it'll work."
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to at least give it a try," Sprig told her. "I mean, what's to lose if it doesn't work?"
"Fair enough," Luz admitted begrudgingly, hopping back up onto her feet. "But please find me some slippers or shoes. I can't take this torture any longer."
Together, the two of them left their house on their way toward Wartwood's busy center, now with Luz wearing a pair of hastily made slippers. Luz was struggling to walk with the slippers on at first, occasionally tripping, mostly because of them falling off her feet. It took a bit, but she started to get the hang of it.
After the Julecoming, things had pretty much returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. As they walked through the streets, Luz noticed some gazes locked onto her, either not recognizing her or gaping at her new appearance. She froze in her place, feeling like everyone was judging her. Thankfully, most residents went back to their businesses quickly, the feeling mostly gone. Well, all except one.
"Well, well, look who we have here!" Mayor Toadstool proclaimed, strutting up to her with a smug smirk. "Looks like the gangly creature didn't heed my warnin'. The new look suits you, though. Finally put in your place, where you belong."
Luz took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight, reminding herself that this guy was just a complete jerk. Months ago, she would've been hurt by his words, but she could now hold it off. Instead, she snapped.
"Money can buy a lot of things, Toadstool," she quickly but sharply uttered, "but it can't buy respect. Nobody likes you, and you've done nothing good for any of us!"
Luz pushed past him, storming away. The mayor spun around and hid his anger with mock surprise. "Oh, ho ho! That curse must've given you a spine as well!"
"Don't listen to him, Luz," Sprig said, catching up to her. "He's the most disliked person in Wartwood."
"Yeah, and I'm sure the only reason he's still mayor is because he's a toad with power," Luz grumbled, taking deep breaths to calm her frustration. "I'm tired of letting him push me and other people around. There's gotta be a way to end this."
"Well, there's always the upcoming election," Sprig suggested. "It's actually in a few days, I think. Maybe we can get a new mayor."
Luz's eyes widened at the idea. "That's so true! But I've heard that the mayor always likes to rig the elections, and bribe those who are able to challenge his position. That's why he's been mayor for so long. Surely we can get a new mayor this year, right?"
Sprig contemplated her words. Toads were always revered as being above frogs, and frogs were never really given enough credit. He didn't know if it was even possible for a frog to become the mayor of Wartwood.
"What if Hop Pop becomes mayor?" Sprig asked curiously.
Luz paused, and had a thoughtful look on her face, then shook her head. "Nah, I don't think being the mayor is really Hop Pop's style. But hey, he'd make a way better mayor than Toadstool."
As they arrived at Maddie's secret hideout in the forest, as expected, the young sorceress was standing there, her magic book open on the side while she scribbled in her notebook, too focused on her research to notice them. Next to her, her cauldron stood, a bubbling red liquid brewing inside of it.
It was only when Luz cleared her throat that Maddie flinched, now realizing the two newcomers. Upon seeing Sprig, Maddie's face lit up like a lantern. "Oh, hi, Sprig," she greeted with a smile, her cheeks lightly dusted pink. In response, Sprig waved back with a grin. Luz had to suppress an eye roll. It was so obvious that those two were slowly falling for each other.
Maddie turned toward Luz, faltering at her new appearance. They engaged in an awkward staring contest for ten seconds, until Maddie approached right up to Luz's face, and after a brief sniff, she finally lit up in recognition. "Luz, is that you?"
"Yep," Luz said, scratching the back of her head nervously. "Turns out I got cursed!" Her voice playfully hid her real pain inside. "I guess it could've been worse, but Toadstool mocked me and made me feel like mud."
In response, Maddie rolled her eyes, setting her pencil down. "I'm not surprised. But, as you said, being turned into a frog isn't the worst possible outcome. Speaking of which…" She paused, realizing something. "You came here to try to reverse the curse, didn't you?" Maddie inquired with little surprise in her voice.
Luz's shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh. "Yeah… I know I was cursed by a deity, but there's gotta be a way to undo it somehow."
"Sorry, but I can't. Curses can only be lifted by the caster, and this isn't my curse," Maddie replied, frowning in sympathy. "At least, that's as far as I know. I still have a lot to learn myself."
"Is there nothing we can do?" Sprig cut in, fidgeting with his hands nervously. "Luz will someday have to return to her world. What's she gonna do when her mom sees her like this?"
"I wonder if my mom might know anything that could help," Luz wondered. "She is a veterinarian, so maybe she could at least tell me a lot about my new body."
Silence fell between the three of them for a few minutes until Maddie spoke up. "The only thing I can offer is to track down the one who cursed you, but if he isn't within this plane of existence, you'll be completely out of luck."
"Well, I guess it's worth a try," Luz agreed. "Hop Pop did say his great-grandma saw Julius in Wartwood at some points."
Nodding, Maddie reached over to her ingredients, picking up a bowl filled with soil. "I always keep this on me, just in case." She used a pastel to grind the soil, sprinkled some minerals in it, grabbed a handful, and then threw it on the ground, creating a giant purple smoke cloud that alarmed the others. Luz and Sprig coughed, trying to get the smoke out of their lungs. When it parted, a blue, sparkling trail was coming from Luz, leading to the direction they had come from.
Maddie's eyes widened at the sight, not expecting the spell to work, but they had gotten incredibly lucky. "That trail must lead to Julius. We should hurry while he's still in Amphibia."
Without any further delay, Maddie grabbed some potions and other magical items and sprinted down the trail. Luz and Sprig were briefly surprised, but quickly followed her close behind. This was the first time Luz was moving this quickly in her new body, but it actually wasn't as difficult as she was expecting. She let her instincts kick in, doing her best to leap forward to keep up with Sprig.
"So, Maddie, when… are you going to teach me how to use curses?" Luz asked, panting, her stamina feeling just as low as it had when she first arrived in this world. "There isn't much information about them in the spellbook."
"And that's for a good reason," Maddie replied, keeping her eyes locked on the trail. "Curses are extremely dangerous, Luz. You must never use them unless somebody really deserves it. You got lucky that you were only turned into a frog. Some curses could instantly cripple or even kill somebody."
Luz was silent, horrified at the thought of being able to instantly end somebody's life in the comfort of their own home. "How hasn't this power been abused by everybody? Are there any limitations?"
"There are two ways to cast a curse," Maddie explained. "The safest way is to do it remotely, where all you need is DNA from the person you're cursing. The other way is to cast them physically, by throwing them at people. Curses are also transferable. I can show you how to make them later, just in case."
Satisfied with her explanation, Luz nodded, having a lot to think about later. As they approached the entrance of Wartwood, Luz leaped forward again, but her foot hit a branch, making her lose her balance. She tumbled forward, briefly panicking as she crashed into somebody, making them both fall harshly to the ground.
"Gah! Ouch! Out of my way, girl!" the unknown frog growled. Luz sat up, rubbing her head. Her vision blurred a bit. In the corner of her eye, she saw Sprig and Maddie running over to check on her and see if she was okay.
As Luz was regaining focus, she couldn't help but notice just how familiar that voice was. The frog she had run into got onto his feet and glared down at Luz.
"S-Sorry, mister," Luz replied, finally regaining her senses and looking up at… "OH MY FROG!" she shrieked, backing away as quickly as she could. Right there was Julius himself, looking at her with a confused expression. "J-Julius, I'm so sorry!"
The frog froze, startled by her words, before he cleared his throat, his demeanor changing. "Uh, yes, it is I, Julius Thomas! I mean Thopomas! It seems you have caught me observing your little town. What, pray tell, do you want from me, mortal?"
Maddie's eyes narrowed in suspicion while Luz scrambled to her feet, nervous. "I-It's me, the human girl you cursed. Don't you remember? Um, please don't curse me again! I'm so sorry for running into you, Lord Julius!"
Julius stared at her blankly for a bit before his face lit up in recognition. "Ah, yes, the foolish little girl who tried to humiliate me in front of my followers. Why—"
"The trail doesn't lead to you," Maddie interrupted, making Julius pause in confusion. "You're not Julius."
"W-Why, of course, I am—"
"Then prove it," Maddie growled, starting to put two and two together. "If you are truly Julius, then I dare you to strike me down where I stand. Unless you're actually powerless and weak?" she challenged.
"Maddie, no!" Luz yelled with a look of horror on her face. "Why would you say that?!"
Julius glared at Maddie and walked forward, doing his best to intimidate her. "You dare challenge me?! I will curse you for your entire life and turn you into a mere worm! I will destroy you where you stand!"
Maddie's face remained unchanged as he looked up at Julius. Seeing as she was not deterred, Julius's face turned red with both anger and embarrassment before his shoulders slumped. "Okay, you win!" he admitted, his authoritative tone becoming casual. "I'm not Julius. Happy? I was hired to be Julius. My name's actually Sandler."
Luz froze in place, staring at Sandler in bewilderment. All this time, she was afraid of this guy? Now that she thought of it, there were a lot of red flags the guy gave off. His first appearance with sparkles and light looked like a simple spell that Luz had learned. He didn't appear otherworldly apart from that, as he seemed to just be a regular guy who acted poorly.
"Wait, then… who cursed me?" Luz asked, coming to a realization. "If it wasn't you, then who? Who has such a personal grudge against me?"
Sandler sighed, crossing his arms. "Even I don't know. All I know is what the mayor told me—" He paused as he froze uncomfortably, his pupils shrinking.
"MAYOR TOADSTOOL WAS BEHIND THIS?!" Luz yelled out, her anger bubbling to the surface. "Of course he'd do something like this! Being the richest person in Wartwood, by far, wasn't enough for him! Oh, no, he had to exploit a once-in-a-lifetime event to steal from people!" she ranted.
Maddie walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Calm down, Luz. Right now, we need to get back on track and follow that trail. It's starting to fade."
Luz paused and let out a deep sigh, letting her anger toward the mayor go for now. "Alright, fine."
"Please don't tell the mayor I told you!" Sandler pleaded, getting on his arms and knees and bowing. "I only did it 'cause he paid me a lot!"
Maddie glared down at him. She was angry that Sandler had been such a jerk to Luz, but she also understood he was just a pawn in Toadstool's scheme, so she just let out a sigh. "Fine. Come on, Luz, Sprig."
The other two silently followed her as they went back to following the trail, its presence quickly fading by the minute. "Please tell me we're almost there. My feet can't take the Wartwood dirt anymore!" Luz begged as she tried to stay as composed and calm as possible.
"Actually, as a matter of fact," Maddie clarified as the three approached a long, thin path leading to a seemingly abandoned shed, "we're here."
The shed looked a bit too inconspicuous, with a sign above the entrance simply labeling it as 'Storage'. As they watched, the trail Maddie had created flew toward the front door and poofed into smoke upon contact, vanishing. This was it, and they had to be cautious.
Sprig began to walk forward before he was abruptly stopped by Maddie's arm, which blocked him from going any further. "We've gotta be really careful," she warned in a raspy voice. "There's no telling what tricks they may pull around here. Got it?"
Luz and Sprig nodded nervously before Maddie lowered her arm, the three ready to take on the curse threat once and for all. Before they could enter, Luz had an idea. "Wait, wouldn't just going through the front door be a bit too obvious? Three of us should flank around and catch the person off guard."
"What do you suggest?" Maddie asked, finding her idea to be intriguing. In response, Luz glanced up at a hole in the house above the Storage sign. Taking advantage of her frog body, she crouched down and leaped up, balancing herself on the sign, which creaked at her movements. Making sure she wasn't about to fall, Luz narrowed her eyes and peered through the hole inside, but there were no lights on.
"It must be a trap," Luz whispered down to the other two. "They're planning to ambush us, most likely."
After some deliberation, Maddie glanced up at Luz. "Luz, you will jump in through that opening. Sprig, flank the window. I will go through the front door."
"Isn't that exactly what he wants, though?" Luz questioned, and Maddie's lips curled into a smile.
"Don't worry about me. I'll handle myself," the young frog replied, pulling out some small magic sacks that she kept just in case she had to curse somebody, and this was a perfect time to do it. They got into their positions and stood still for a few moments. Luz counted down with her fingers, and when her last finger went down, they all rushed into the shed at once. Maddie went through the front door, Luz dove through the opening above the front door, and Sprig burst through the side windows, brandishing his slingshot.
As soon as Luz landed, she grabbed a magic sack from her pocket and threw it to the ground, creating a light that illuminated the entire place. Immediately, they spotted somebody next to a bookshelf—a tall, blue, plump frog with two buckteeth, pink cheeks, and orange bushy hair. On his head sat a tattered top hat, a purple dress coat with a yellow bow tie, striped pink pants, and black shoes.
Upon being illuminated by the light, the frog's goofy smirk turned into a sneer. "You've ruined the whole ambiance of my beaaauuutiful shed with that light of yours! I had a whole plan to…" He sighed, realizing this was getting him nowhere. "Fine. I guess you children don't appreciate talent when you see it. Anyway, enjoying the curse I put on you?" He walked forward, spinning his cane.
Sprig's eyes widened upon seeing the familiar figure. "Wait, Barry?! You're behind this? But why?! Why do this to Luz?!"
"It's nothing personal, kiddo," Barry replied, his expression as smug as ever. "When business calls, I always answer."
"Could you at least lift the curse?" Luz pleaded, shifting uncomfortably. She had only heard about Barry in Wartwood, but had never seen him in person. She was expecting some evil sorcerer, not some… clown. "We know Mayor Toadstool put you up to this."
"Oh, do you, now?" Barry's grin widened as he spun around, dramatically pointing his cane at Luz. "How did you find out? Did the mayor spill the beans? Well, no matter. When I curse somebody, I never undo it. You're stuck with that curse!" He laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's far from the worst curse I've inflicted, at least. You perfectly blend in now, so what's the harm?"
Maddie walked forward, glaring at Barry with disdain. "The harm is… that you're abusing your magic. As a curse wielder myself, this is offensive!" she growled, holding the curse sacks threateningly toward him. Maddie reeled her arm back and threw a curse at Barry as a warning shot.
Barry's eyes widened as he flinched when the curse landed on the bookshelf, causing a mushroom with eyes to sprout out. "Oh, goodness!" He wasn't expecting there to be another curse user like him in Wartwood, or at least not with this level of skill. Barry couldn't underestimate these children.
Seeing this, Luz got into a stance as well, prepared to battle against this magic user using her own. She reached down, pulling a wind potion off her belt.
"You should never curse someone unless they really deserve it," Maddie continued, tossing the curse in her hand up and down. "And, buddy, YOU DESERVE IT!"
The young sorceress threw another curse at Barry's head, forcing him to duck and barely evade another one that had followed. Barry felt panicked, backed up, and bumped into a cauldron behind him, which was filled with his own curses. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly reached in and grabbed some, now sporting a smug smirk on his face. "Ah! Two can play it that game!"
Barry leaped into the air and threw a curse at Maddie, who was forced to dodge out of the way. Upon landing, the curse caused glowing mushrooms to emerge from the floor. Before Barry could throw more curses, however, a glass bottle thrown by Luz shattered against his side, making him wince in pain. "What the—"
Suddenly, a burst of wind shot from the bottle, sending him flying into a bookshelf, causing it to collapse. "Oof! What?! Glass bottles? That is terribly inefficient!" Barry growled, turning his attention to Luz, who was now next to Maddie. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Barry knew that it wasn't going to be easy to fight off two magic users.
Dashing forward, he threw more tied up curses toward the duo, who split up, attacking him from both sides. Barry was doing everything he could to avoid all the curses, barely finding any opportunity to retaliate. The curses thrown by Maddie had different effects on the inanimate objects, such as giving chicken wings and legs to a barrel filled with berries, and another curse giving lollipops stored in a jar scary faces.
Simultaneously, Barry and Maddie threw the last curses they had on hand at each other, and both landed on the floor next to them, the splash damage causing them to fly back. The former flew toward his cauldron and bumped into it, reaching in to find more, only to find out he had only one curse remaining. "My last curse!" Barry gasped, realizing he wouldn't be able to beat all three of them, but perhaps if he at least beat Maddie, the main one, he would find a way to take down the other two.
Meanwhile, Maddie had landed on the ground, grunting in pain as she got up, reaching into her pocket, only to realize that, unlike Barry, she was completely out of curses. "I'm out!" she yelled, getting worried. "Luz, you'll have to stop him!"
Seeing as Barry was charging toward her, Luz was nervous, but she got in front of Maddie and slid her foot back, getting into a stance and preparing for his final attack. Luz pulled out her only growth potion and threw it forward, causing it to splash on the ground in front of Barry. Before he could react, plant roots grew out of the cracks in the floorboards, causing him to trip and let go of the curse he was holding. With Barry down and open, Luz, with a sudden rush of bravery, used her tongue to snatch the flying curse out of the air and catch it, throwing it back to Barry.
"Oh, dear," Barry murmured, realizing he was screwed as he looked up. As soon as the curse impacted him, a huge purple cloud of smoke engulfed the room. When it parted, it revealed Barry, but something was a lot different about him. The curse had transformed him into a giant, bloated blue tadpole with buck teeth, and his tattered hat was still on his head. He looked absolutely ridiculous, and the children were speechless. At least, that was until Sprig failed to suppress a chuckle, and the three of them burst out laughing at the sight.
"Alright, you crazy kids bested me," Barry grumbled, already fed up with their laughter. "Now go on, turn me back."
After recovering from her laughter, Maddie glanced up at Barry, narrowing her eyes at him. "I don't think so. You're way too dangerous. Tell us why you partnered up with the mayor to curse Luz, and maybe I'll show you a bit of mercy."
"Ha!" the trickster scoffed. "First off, I didn't even meet the mayor! It was his assistant, and he told me everything. Also, my curses are strictly for the money, and politics are none of my business!"
"Soo…" Luz questioned after a short, awkward pause. "There wasn't really any goal or motivation behind this? You cursed us just because he told you to?"
"Exactly!" Barry gleefully responded. "Also, lots of money, and a little sneaky deal we made!"
"You know what? We don't have time for this," Maddie cut in. "Tell us how we can change Luz back, or being a giant tadpole will be the least of your worries."
"Bah!" Barry scoffed in refusal. "You think I'd bow down to some lowly threat? I'll never—"
In frustration, Luz grabbed a spare potion bottle from the ground and aimed it threateningly at him, instantly making him nervous and changing his mind.
"Alright, alright!" he conceded. "I'll uncurse you, but you still won't ever know how to do it yourself. Deal? As long as you please don't bother me again!"
"Normally, I'm the last person to trust shady fellas like you," Luz complained, "but I'd rather take this risk than have to stay as a frog forever."
As Barry silently nodded, he put out his hand before snapping his fingers. In a flash, a huge tidal wave of many colors flooded from Luz, blinding everyone for a moment before dying down.
As the lights faded, Maddie and Sprig were the first ones to see Luz, who had thankfully been turned back into a human. Luz opened her eyes, stood up, and took a step forward, stumbling a bit. "Whoa, I almost got used to being a frog. It's so glad to be back in my body, though," she said, relieved.
"Luz! You're okay!" Sprig happily exclaimed as he hopped up to a now human-sized Luz, reaching his arms out as if to hug her. As the three children laughed, they were mostly just happy to be back to normal. Everything was back to how it was just a few days ago. After Luz, Sprig, and Maddie embraced each other in a hug, they turned their attention back to Barry, who had rolled his eyes at the wholesome moment.
"Alright, now are you going to turn me back?" Barry questioned. "I can hardly even move like this!"
Sprig, in a powerful moment of defiance, got up closer to his face and pointed at his eyes. "What about the others you cursed? Or those we don't even know about?"
"If you children haven't noticed, there haven't been any other cursed frogs," Barry replied. "The only one I was actually tasked to curse was the girl over there." He pointed to Luz, who was flabbergasted. "Mayor said something about getting back at her for humiliating him."
Luz took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse as badly as a character from Purgatory Inn. Without another word, she took Sprig and Maddie by the hand, and headed towards the exit. Before Luz left, she snapped her fingers, undoing Barry's curse out of kindness. Her anger wasn't directed at him anymore, anyway.
After a few seconds, the three were heading out on the trail leading from the shack, where just a few hours earlier, they had been scheming about how to enter quietly. Instead of excitement or eagerness, the three felt rather empty and underwhelmed.
After a rather uncomfortable period, Luz was the one who broke the silence. "I don't even know where to begin. One minute, I was a frog, and now I made some deal with that trickster. What if he keeps cursing others in the future?" she ranted as her face notably twitched from exhaustion and frustration.
"Calm down, Luz." Sprig suggested. "On the bright side, we're all back to normal, and we don't have to worry about him anymore! Well, at least for now."
"You're right," Luz replied. "We should head back to Wartwood now. It's getting dark already, and you know how I get nervous at this hour."
The other two gave a thumbs up as they kept walking through the dense forests and trees for a couple of minutes before finally making it to the center of Wartwood's plaza.
By sheer coincidence, as they passed by City Hollow on their way to the Plantar house, they noticed a paranoid Mayor Toadstool covering his head with a shawl, tiptoeing as delicately as he could towards the front steps. He did his best not to be noticed, but as he locked eyes on the trio, his pride and character instantly shattered.
"W-wait…" the toad muttered in disbelief. "Luz? And your little frog friends? You're back to normal? But how?! You were supposed to be cursed forever!"
"It's none of your business," Maddie replied as Luz nodded in agreement. "We know you have nothing to do with Julius or who he really is. You just exploited the Julecoming to make a cheap profit and steal Frog knows how many valuables!"
Mayor Toadstool let out a dramatic gasp, placing a hand on his chest. "Absolutely not! I'm all about integrity and honesty! Everybody knows that I put the values of my people first and that scamming others is the last thing I would do!" he proudly proclaimed, doing his best to appear confident. After a moment, out of curiosity, he slightly opened his eyes to see their reactions, but it was unfortunately clear to him they weren't swayed or convinced.
Changing his tactics, he allowed himself to dissolve into a nervous, desperate wreck. He got down on his knees and clasped his hands together, his voice blubbering so dramatically that it was difficult to tell if he was acting or not.
"Alright, you know what? Frog it! I did it, but only to save you all! The, err, Jaxture is almost upon us, and I can't trust you with those copper, silver, and glass vases! You're gonna, uhh, revolt against us! Julius told me to buy gold!" He began crying and having a mental breakdown as any class and coherence dipped out the window.
Tired of his attempts to garner sympathy from the three of them, Maddie spoke up. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any more pathetic, Toadstool, you proved me wrong. You better return what you stole from those people, or maybe you'll be the one who's turned into a frog next," she threatened coldly.
"You wouldn't dare!" Toadstool gasped in alarm.
"Why? What's wrong with being a frog?" Sprig asked. "Afraid that the other toads will start bullying you once they see you?"
"Yeah! Frogs are awesome!" Luz added. "If I wasn't able to get rid of the curse, well, I'd still have Sprig and Maddie as friends, and they were both right. There are worse things I could have been turned into."
Sprig and Maddie both smiled as they heard Luz say that.
On that note, Luz, Sprig, and Maddie headed on their way without another word. All the while, Toadstool kept ranting and blubbering, this time with no one around to serve as his audience.
"The universe is a hologram, and the only way to stop the Jaxture is to donate all your homes and fold them with tea!" his shaky voice persisted as it gradually became more unhinged. "You're still with me, guys? Guys?" he pleaded without even looking up to see himself.
Leaving that greedy whiner behind, Luz and Sprig were right in front of the Plantar house, having bid goodbye to Maddie just before that. The two stood nervously in front of the main door, equally relieved to be safe and home, but also nervous about what Hop Pop would think.
"You know, after everything that's happened," the now-human remarked. "being a frog didn't feel too bad. I could almost feel like it's a whole new world yet to be explored."
"Heck, I don't even know what it's like to be human!" Sprig quipped back. "But let's leave that all aside and just be happy for once, okay?"
"Yeah," Luz agreed as she moved her hand toward the doorknob. Right as she was about to push it open, however, the door already opened to reveal a frustrated Hop Pop, who had already been anticipating this for a while.
"What did I tell you tricksters about going home on time?" he angrily began. "You could've almost—" As he looked at Luz, he suddenly remembered the curse and realized that she was back to normal again.
"Oh, Luz, you're safe!" Hop Pop's voice quickly became much more relieved and optimistic, and his frustrations instantly zapped away. He tightly squeezed Luz with a hug and patted her on the head, much to her slight discomfort, before inviting them to head inside.
"So, tell me, how did you turn back to normal?" he inquired as he shut the door, with everyone inside by then. "And really, what happened while you two were gone pretty much the whole day?"
A clearly exhausted Sprig took a quick breath before rattling off the crazy events that had happened. "Well, turns out Toadstool lied and exploited the Julecoming, hired a random actor to play Julius, and some clown named Barry cursed Luz, and we got into a fight. But we're safe now, so all is well!" he happily finished as he put his hands on his hips.
After a short pause to take all the information, Hop Pop's jaw dropped. "Julius… ISN'T REAL?!" he exclaimed, his eyelids twitching before he fainted, collapsing on the floor, his tongue comically hanging out.
As Luz and Sprig looked on in concern, they suddenly noticed Polly hopping into the scene, having completely forgotten about her until now. She took one glance at Hop Pop's unconscious body on the floor before looking at herself.
"Oh well, time to bring out the will," Polly casually remarked.
To Be Continued in Chapter Twenty-Six
Thanks for tuning in for this new chapter! Special thanks to my beta reader, ShinHedgezilla23, for his input. Also special thank you to ChampionElCid for helping us improve this chapter and make it even better!
Please be sure to check out his fanfic, The Owl and The Frog. It's a very fun read, and I recommend you take a look. It's been a huge inspiration for me starting Calamitous Intervention.
~ Scruffy